WASHINGTON, D.C. — Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s effort to reshape the childhood vaccine schedule Sunday, calling aspects of the policy “crazy” and “stupid” and arguing that such decisions are contributing to Trump’s declining poll numbers.
Cassidy, a physician who chairs the Senate health committee, specifically objected to Trump’s push to separate the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into individual shots. Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Cassidy said the change would turn two routine MMR injections into six separate shots and require additional medical visits.
“This is why the president’s poll numbers are going down,” Cassidy said. “Because people don’t perceive that he knows the reality of their life.”
Trump’s order also emphasizes further investigation of vaccines and autism, despite extensive scientific evidence finding no causal connection. Cassidy said Sunday there is “no evidence whatsoever” that vaccines cause autism.
Current CDC guidance recommends two MMR doses for children, with the first at 12 to 15 months and the second at ages 4 to 6.
Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have already made substantial changes to federal vaccine policy. Earlier this year, the CDC revised its childhood schedule so several vaccines are no longer universally recommended, following a Trump directive to reassess U.S. practices.
Cassidy’s criticism is particularly notable because he provided a crucial Republican vote to confirm Kennedy as HHS secretary in 2025 after receiving assurances about vaccine policy.
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